LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

SHAPING THE  WORKPLACE  OF THE FUTURE

History and Presidents of the LERA - Wisconsin Chapter

The speakers at the second meeting were A.H. Raskin, Labor Reporter, New York Times; Frank Wallic, Editor, Wisconsin CIO News; Andrew G. Wolf, Personnel Manager, Oscar Mayer & Company and the moderator, Scott M. Cutlip, Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin. The topic was The Role of Public Relations in the Labor-Management Field. This meeting was held in cooperation with the John R. Commons Club.

In March of 1960 the possibility of disbanding the Chapter or splitting the chapter into two sections - Milwaukee and Madison, was discussed. In an effort to keep the organization alive Dan Shneidman sent letters to labor attorneys in the Milwaukee area inviting them to join this organization, and many of them did. Meetings were then held alternately in Milwaukee, Madison and Whitewater.

At the September 30, 1970 meeting the Advisory Committee again decided to divide the Wisconsin Chapter into two sections, a Milwaukee section and a Madison section. Each section was to hold a number of meetings in their respective areas and one or two joint meetings. This bifurcation of the Chapter meetings resulted in problems. The Chapter stabilized at the time the Secretariat moved to Milwaukee in 1971 when Bob Garnier became the Secretary-Treasurer. It was at this time that non-profit status for the Chapter was obtained.

Luncheon and dinner meetings again rotated from Madison to Milwaukee with occasional meetings held in Whitewater and at times held jointly with other organizations. During the 1980's several half-day programs and breakfast meetings were added.

In 1982 in response to the members' request of regularly scheduled meetings at a designated location, the Chapter scheduled luncheon meetings at the Boulevard Inn in Milwaukee on the second Friday of the month from October to May. In 1992 when the Boulevard Inn closed, the meeting location was changed to the Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee. The Park East Hotel, also in Milwaukee, hosted Chapter meetings from 1995 to 1997, when the Boulevard Inn reopened downtown and meetings were moved to that location.
(Thanks to Steven Rynecki for providing this history.)